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Manganese Toxicity in Barley is Controlled by Solution Manganese and Soil Manganese SpeciationSoil Chemistry M anganese is an essential micronutrient for all organisms. Natural background concentrations of Mn in soil range from 0.5 to 5000 mg Mn kg -1 (Baize, 1997) and the oxidation state range between 0 and +7, with +2, +3, and +4 the most common oxidation states in natural environments. In soils, Mn solubility is determined by two major variables: pH and redox potential. In alkaline well-aerated soils, Mn may be insuffi ciently available to plants for healthy growth (Graham et al., 1985;Curtin et al., 2008). At pH above 5.5 and under aerobic conditions, Mn(III) and Mn(IV) (hydr)oxides precipitate (Scheff er and Schachtschabel, 1989). However, Mn toxicity may become a limiting factor for crop production when large concentrations of Mn(II) are present. Manganese(II) is highly soluble and is the thermodynamically most stable form in soils at low pH (Porter et al., 2004) or under reducing conditions as may happen in soils with poor aeration as a result of waterlogging or compaction (Foy, 1984;Weil et al., 1997).